Man-Made Rivers In Africa

Desalination processes turn reduce salt levels in water. Currently they are very expensive, and are not cost effective when compared to using groundwater or fresh water from rivers.

However, what if, by 2012, we saw large scale desalination become cost effective? Let's say an American/European/Japanese company figured out a way to make it so. Do you think that this could lead to man-made rivers in the water stressed areas of Africa?
 
The problem with desalinization technology is that those who need it most don't have the know how to operate it and money to build/import it. And those who do generally don't need it on large scale.
 
SA might. So might Morocco, or Ghana, or Angola since by then their oil platforms will be fully running.

@ aktarian: that's why I said - "cost effective"

Just because it's cost effective doesn't mean anybody can use it or knows how to operate it ;)
 
i dont understand how exactly a river would work? Would you pipe water up to some high point and let it flow? Might be easier to take a existing river and divert some of it a different way
 
Desalination processes turn reduce salt levels in water. Currently they are very expensive, and are not cost effective when compared to using groundwater or fresh water from rivers.

However, what if, by 2012, we saw large scale desalination become cost effective? Let's say an American/European/Japanese company figured out a way to make it so. Do you think that this could lead to man-made rivers in the water stressed areas of Africa?
Desalination CAN'T be cost effective for irrigation, because the physics require a pretty huge energy input. Sure, we can get cheaper desalinization, but when you look at the numbers of tonnes of water needed for various things, agriculture is way out there.

For drinking water, desalinization is already cost effective. Even for something like steel making, it could be. For agriculture? probably never. (Unless you can make enclosed hydroponics work.)
 
Maybe in Australia or the Southwestern USA. But in Africa? They don't have the money.

Typical ignorant Afrosceptics. Not only do Africans have the capability to run large desalination plants they already are. In Namibia (see http://www.keyplan.co.za/projects.html) there is already a huge plant which produces high quality water by desalination. Not exactly a massive river but enough to supply a typical European town of 15 000 people with water.
 
Desalination processes turn reduce salt levels in water. Currently they are very expensive, and are not cost effective when compared to using groundwater or fresh water from rivers.

However, what if, by 2012, we saw large scale desalination become cost effective? Let's say an American/European/Japanese company figured out a way to make it so. Do you think that this could lead to man-made rivers in the water stressed areas of Africa?

2012!! Just in time for the pole shift.
 
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